Sarah's Wish
by hopeless.romantic.3739
Summary: Sarah impulsively wishes to return to the Labyrinth. Will she be prepared for what she finds there? Will you be prepared for what your find beyond this link? Find out by clicking!
1. The Prologue

First story in a long time. Most of my other stories have been discontinued, as I am horrible about finishing a story. More often than not, I hit a brick wall, and then I quit. I'm hoping to sidestep that trap this time, but we'll see. For now, I'm only posting the prologue. If it get's good reviews, I'll continue posting the story. If not, I'll either complete as much as I want for my own pleasure, or abandon it completely. It's really up to y'all! If you want to see it continued, your best option is to review this snippet!!!

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Sarah sat on her bed, her knees curled up to her chest, as she thought about him. His platinum blonde hair haunted her every waking thought; his cool regal voice invaded her dreams and nightmares alike. The small, leather-bound book lay on top of the unmade bed beside her, the lettering long since worn away by her over-eager fingers. Even now, over three years after she had called upon the powers of the Labyrinth, its magic radiated from her very being. Every magical creature within a fifty-mile radius was drawn to her as if enchanted. In only the last month, she had had the pleasure of meeting with the Troll of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Faerie Queen of the Central Park faeries (who were much less ferocious than their underground cousins), several of the goblins in the King's service, as well as Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and Ambrocious, with whom she still kept regular correspondence. If she was honest with herself, these encounters did little to damage her desire to return to the Underground. If anything, this desire intensified, gripping Sarah's attention at every possible moment, driving her to distraction more often than not.

Her eyes drifted to the armoire on her left. The top still held her make-up, as disorganized as usual, and her figurine of the Goblin King in full regalia. In the mirror, she could see the walls of her bedroom, covered in the fantastical drawings that had consumed her thoughts for months on end: mismatched eyes staring out from rustic ruins, a majestic white owl outlined against the red sky of a sunset, a maze made up of brick walls and garden hedges, with a large marsh in the middle, all leading to a grand castle, surrounded by a filthy city. These images simply flowed through Sarah's hand, through the ink pen and the paintbrush onto the paper, bringing only a momentary relief to her busy mind.

Karen hollered from the kitchen below, shaking Sarah from her trance. Softly, she slid off her bed, her bare feet curling into the carpet before she moved downstairs, trying to force Jareth and his kingdom to the corner of her mind for even a minute.

"Sarah, honey, your mother is on the phone!" Karen smiled encouragingly, holding the handset out to the young brunette. Sarah took it, raising an eyebrow suspiciously at her blonde step-mother, who shrugged as she passed, leaving the kitchen, and Sarah, in silence.

"Mom?" Sarah asked incredulously, cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she pushed herself up on the counter, perching comfortably beside the microwave.

Her mother's response was almost drowned out by the noise of the party behind her, but Sarah managed to hear her. "Sarah, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday! I know it's early, but I'll be out of town on your birthday, and I'm sure you have better plans anyway, instead of talking to your old mother!" The older woman chuckled into the receiver, a dry sound, followed by a shouted response to someone in the crowd.

"Thanks, Mom!" Sarah enthused, struggling to raise her voice enough to be heard. Their phone calls were always strained now, ever since Sarah had gotten more close to Karen. Her birth mother was jealous that Sarah got advice from Karen, and Sarah was frustrated with her birth mother for ignoring her for all those years. Such circumstances didn't lead to the adoring relationship Sarah and her mother had once shared, and each conversation showed it more.

"I'm sure Carrie, is it, has your party planned by now." The actress prodded, her tone condescending and rude.

Sarah shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Mother, it is Karen. It has been Karen since you left Dad, and he remarried. Don't play this game. It doesn't suit you. Enjoy your party, and have a good time on whichever trip you're going on next." Hanging up angrily, Sarah stomped around the kitchen, first brewing herself a cup of tea, followed by augmenting this tea with heaping amounts of sugar and lemon juice, doctoring it to her own tastes.

Sitting down at the kitchen table, Sarah looked out the window and into the night sky, wishing on the first star she saw.

"Star light, star bright, first star that I see tonight, wish I may, wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight."

Thinking for only the briefest of moments, Sarah murmured, "I wish I could go back to the Underground." Perhaps, this was not the smartest wish she could have made, but before Sarah had time to ponder this, she saw the walls around her warp, slowly changing color from a cheery yellow to a mossy brick, thickening and stretching taller before her, forming the outer wall of the Labyrinth she had bested three years before. Deciding to get some rest before her nostalgic trek through the maze-like being, she curled up against the wall, resting her cheek against the cool stone. Almost instantly, she was asleep, her breathing deep and rhythmic.

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Remember, if you want to see this continued, review!!!


	2. The Beginning

I know it's short, but if y'all want fairly regular updates, this is what you get. I apologize for any errors. I type once, and I rarely read it over before I post, so obviously not beta-ed.

Disclaimer (Applies to Prologue, as **_Someone_**, namely me, forgot to include it!): Jareth does not belong to me. If he did, I wouldn't even share him here. I'd be too busy!!!

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Stretching, Sarah opened her eyes slowly, only to find that the warm sunlight that bathed her did not, in fact, come from her open bedroom window as it sometimes did in the mornings. Upon further inspection, she found that she was not in her bedroom at all, and slowly, but surely, she remembered the events of the night before that had culminated in her current location and condition.

She stood up warily, looking around herself, sure for a moment that this was another one of her incredibly vivid dreams, until, of course, she felt a stinging bite on the back of her palm. When she went to smack away the offending mosquito, it was none other than a troublesome faerie, and more than ever, Sarah wished Hoggle were around, along with his faerie repellant. Her thought was barely completed before she heard a gruff voice rattling numbers off, increasing slowly, punctuated by the harsh sound of escaping pressurized air.

"Hoggle!" Sarah squealed, taking the diminutive dwarf by surprise when she threw her arms enthusiastically around his neck.

In surprise, he turned around, his voice muffled by Sarah's mop of hair, "Is that yous, little lady?" He could barely believe it, but it was hard to refute the embrace he found himself still entangled within. Without releasing him, she nodded, squeezing him tightly before finally letting go.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Sarah said, sitting down before him with a grin on her face, her hair shining in the morning light.

Hoggle stared at her, confused and incredibly suspicious. "Why is ya here, Sarah? Did the little rat hurt yer brother?" After all the King had done to him, Hoggle decided to take no chances and determine why Sarah was here in the Labyrinth again, no matter how glad he was to see her.

Then she laughed. She actually laughed! Hoggle could do no more than gape incredulously, watching her release all her pent up tensions in a single, heart-felt laugh. "Oh goodness, no, Hoggle, though I thank you for being so concerned. I am here completely of my own free will, and here I intend to stay, if I have my way!" She smiled briefly, "Oh gosh, that rhymed! Look at me, I'm a poet and I didn't know it!"

Sarah wasn't sure she knew herself, from the way she was acting, but she liked the feeling of freedom she was now experiencing; freedom from her uncaring mother and smothering stepmother, her ridiculed (non-existent) social life and her swiftly approaching future. Here, she could be who she wanted to be, her truest self, and no one would think less of her, no one would think she were a fool, or worse, crazy. No one, except, perhaps, _**Him**_, but she refused to think about that possibility for the time being.

Hoggle, meanwhile, had not moved, his face still contorted into an expression of complete and utter bewilderment. "Sarah, is ya sure yous is all right?" He reached out to pat her back comfortingly, but before he could, she leapt up, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Hoggle, will you show me the doors to the Labyrinth?" She practically bounced as she waited for his answer, wringing her hands like a toddler would. He nodded slowly, nodding his head toward the stone walls which opened themselves, as if responding to an unspoken command. "I would kiss you, Hoggle, but I think we both remember what happened last time I did that!" She giggled exuberantly, skipping toward the Labyrinth before she turned back. "If I need help, can I call?" It was hesitant, unsure, a small crack in the mask of Sarah's confidence, but after Hoggle assured her she could, the mask was repaired, looking as though it had never broken, and off she went into the Labyrinth, though, this time, she was in much brighter spirits.

Sarah's hair flew behind her as she moved swiftly over the tree roots that littered the path, her lips pursed as she whistled a merry tune. The moss-like eyes that covered the walls followed her, seeming to shake with laughter, and the Labyrinth itself seemed to welcome her, the flowers blossoming as she passed, the walls moving back to allow in a healthy dose of sunlight and fresh air. Hoggle stood in the door, amused. If the Labyrinth smiled upon Sarah the way it did upon the little rat's mother, _May she rest in peace_, he thought to himself quickly, that could mean only one thing. The Labyrinth had chosen a new Queen.

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As usual, reviews inspire me to write more, therefore more reviews = more writing!


	3. The Backstory

Y'all should be happy. This chapter is the length of the first two put together! Enjoy!

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Unlike her first visit, Sarah took the time to literally smell the flowers along her path, which she hadn't even noticed in her haste to save Toby. The colors were more vibrant than she could ever have imagined: blues that rivaled the sky, yellows more brilliant than the sun, and the scents were absolutely heavenly, some sweet and romantic, others more citrusy. Tucking a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear, Sarah sighed, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. After jogging all morning, her hair was stuck to the nape of her neck, her shirt to her back, and she leaned against the rock wall that bordered both the bricked portion of the maze, and the Firey's Forest. The cool stone felt refreshing against her flushed skin, and she relaxed, letting the wall, for a moment, hold her up.

"_We have waited for your return."_ Sarah jumped as she heard the ethereal voice, looking around herself for the source. Seeing no one, she assumed her overactive imagination was the cause, and has her breathing and heart rate returned to their normal paces, she leaned against the wall again, letting her eyes flutter shut momentarily. "_Welcome home, my Queen."_ Sarah sagged against the wall, too confused to move.

"Queen?" She murmured, bewildered. "This isn't home," she thought, but even as this crossed her mind, she knew it was false. She had never fit in there, where imagination was smothered and dreams were crushed. "Who are you?" It was only the first of many questions, but Sarah decided it was likely the easiest to answer.

There was silence for a moment before Sarah received her answer. "_I am the Labyrinth, child._" The answer was simple, and not entirely unexpected, but Sarah had no idea how to respond, so she settled for a contemplative pause. The Labyrinth took advantage of this and continued. "_I am the first Goblin Queen. I was once known as Boudicca, but in darker times, I took my fate into my own hands, and thus the Labyrinth was born as I died."_

Sarah shuddered at the thought, but her curiosity, however morbid, was nowhere near quenched. "What happened?"

"_There was a war between my husband and the king of the neighboring kingdom. Things looked bleak. My husband had been critically injured, and so my people looked to me for protection. I did the only thing I could think of: I sacrificed myself for the love of my people, the love of my country, and by doing so, I insured a future for my children and beyond. I wove the strongest protection charms and defensive spells around the borders of the kingdom, infusing them with my own strength and conviction. When it was complete, I had raised walls in intricate patterns all around the castle, ensuring at least time should the enemy army make it past the border. The spells were too strong, however, and they consumed me, drawing me into the very walls of the defensive labyrinth I had created."_

"That's horrible!" Sarah gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth as she listened to Boudicca's tale. "Did you at least win the war with such a sacrifice?"

"_We did, but the kingdom had been forever changed by my actions. The landscape had been ruined by the walls I had raised, and rivers stopped flowing, creating a bog in the middle of the land, the stagnant waters becoming less than fragrant, to put it delicately. The few humans we had once protected left in a hurry, terrified of becoming lost within the Labyrinth, and my original purpose became distorted as time wore on."_

Sarah nodded in understanding, running her fingers through her hair as she thought. "Why did you call me Queen?" Her eyes had shut as she tried to process everything she was being told.

This time the wall behind her, and for that matter, every wall within the labyrinth, as far as she could tell, shuddered, and Boudicca sighed. In her mind's eye, Sarah saw a regal woman, bathed in ethereal light, pinching the bridge of her nose. "_Over time, the Goblin King and I became permanently entwined. His magic sustained me, and in return, I obeyed his wishes and offered him advice. When the king couldn't find his true love, I was to find a suitable mate. Jareth has now ruled for nearly five centuries without a Queen at his side and you are the first Runner to best him in that time."_

"So I bested him. That means I have to marry him?" She all but shrieked, shaking her head in disbelief. "What if I say no, that I don't want to marry him?"

"_That is your choice, Sarah, but think about your actions before you make your decision. It is quite likely that you are his one and only love, the true love he never found for himself. Your tenacity matches well with his, as does your intelligence. You are both fiercely loyal to those you love, and your passion has no bounds. In all my years of watching over the many Goblin Kings I have served, I have never seen a Queen more matched to a King than you are to Jareth."_ Boudicca's voice was soft, comforting, and Sarah found herself in a very difficult position.

If in fact, Jareth was her true love, and she turned him down, she would be alone for the rest of her life. If she said yes, could she live with him, learn to love him? True, she had been obsessed with him for the last three years, but was that obsession curiosity, or love, or just lust? Sarah didn't know. "Does _**he**_ know that you have chosen me?"

For the first time, Sarah heard Boudicca's tinkling laugh. "_No, he does not, nor will he, unless you choose to tell him, if things go as they should. You wished to come to the Labyrinth, and so, you will see him on those grounds alone. If he has any sense, he will realize that you are what he has subconsciously sought for so long, and I never have to be implicated. Too many kings resent my necessary interference."_

"So I have to tell him that I wished myself here, and let him laugh at me?" Sarah visibly cringed, knowing her wish had not been particularly intelligent.

Boudicca's response was simple. "_Yes. You had an urge to return here, a tug on your soul that your brain didn't have time to smother. It is natural for a Runner to return. Even after spending only thirteen hours here, the ancient magic within my walls will have affected them. Did you not experience this Aboveground?"_

Sarah could only nod, vividly recalling her various meetings with the magical beings on New York City.

"_The only reason the King hasn't come to visit you yet is the fact that he is dealing with the concerns of his people, as is customary on the first day of each month. He would have felt the pull of a Runner, but he trusts the Gate Dwarf, Hoggle, with the task of informing Runners of their duties. When he realizes there is no child to run for, however, he will pop in to speak with you. Be prepared for anything, as he is likely still feeling his defeat rather acutely. I'm sure that you will overcome this, my Queen."_

Sarah started at the title again, still unable to comprehend that aspect of the situation. "Since I am still technically a Runner, do I only have thirteen hours with which to solve the Labyrinth? What would stay here if I lost, since I'm not running for a child?"

Boudicca chuckled lightly, "_Because you are only running for your own purposes, you would stay if you lost, though it is my dearest wish that you will stay, regardless of who wins. As for your time limit, you only have a total of thirteen hours. While we spoke, I froze your time, though the day has obviously progressed."_ It was only then that Sarah noticed the long shadows stretching across the ground from the afternoon sun. "_Jareth will realize that I interfered, which will make him curious. I will not tell him why I froze your time, for that is your decision alone. If you do not wish him to know you were chosen, that is your prerogative. Back to the subject at hand, child, you were two hours and twelve minutes into your quest when I froze your time, and that is where it will start now. You have nine hours and forty-eight minutes in which to solve the Labyrinth before you become one of us, forever."_ Boudicca's words sent a chill down Sarah's spine, reminding her of Jareth's words at the start of the Labyrinth, three years prior.

"Well, come on, feet." Sarah muttered to herself, pushing herself away from the wall and toward the Firey's Forest.

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On a side note, the name Boudicca is derived from the British word _boud_ meaning victory. This name historically belonged to a queen who led a revolt against the Romans. When her forces were defeated, she committed suicide. The story gave me this idea, so yay?

Please leave a contribution in the little box! (I know it's overused, but it fits so well!)

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	4. The Questions

Sorry it's taken me so long to post! I am adjusting my schedule around school, so most updates will likely be this long or longer, unless I receive some serious inspiration in the way of reviews!!!

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The Fireys were not as forgiving to Sarah as she might have hoped. After all, it had taken them nearly the entire time she had been away to recollect and reattach their scattered body parts. By the time she made it to the Bog's containing wall, her hair was matted with the mud they had thrown, her porcelain skin scratched by the tree limbs she had run past. Though exhausted, she set to scaling the brick wall, having no other option to get away from the incensed Fireys. When she finally reached the top of the wall, she pulled herself up, heaving great breaths as she tried to regain her lost strength.

"What have we here?" Jareth's cool, regal voice washed over her, startling her to her feet.

She turned to face him, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly. "Nothing."

He delicately arched one eyebrow, his hungry eyes raking over her lithe form. "Nothing? Nothing? Nothing, tra la la?" He allowed himself a derisory snort before continuing. "And how are you enjoying my Labyrinth, Precious?"

"I won't say it, Your Majesty. It isn't easy, and I was wrong to say it was." If it was possible, Jareth's raised eyebrow ascended even further, disappearing behind his untamable hair.

"What's this? Lady Sarah, the only one ever to defeat my Labyrinth, admits she was wrong? Will wonders never cease?" Jareth's sarcasm was anything but light, cutting her with every syllable.

She nodded, unable, in the face of his criticism, to form words. For a time, they just stood there, staring at each other, and, when each thought the other was not looking, carefully examining the one before them.

Jareth had changed only minimally, his eyes punctuated with sleep deprivation evident in the bags, his lips more likely to frown than to smirk. Sarah, on the other hand, had blossomed into a beautiful young lady; she was no longer gangly and awkward but was now perfectly proportioned. It seemed, however, that her inner spark had dimmed, or more likely had been smothered.

Finally, Jareth cleared his throat. "You are aware, no doubt, that you are running for yourself. You have little more than three hours before you become one of us, forever." His chilling words were only intensified by his sudden disappearance, leaving her once again alone on the stone parapet.

Hesitantly, Sarah called out. "Goblin King?"

Instantly, he was at her side, his impatience practically radiating from him. "What is it you would have from me, Human?" His gloved hands were balled into fists at his side, his eyes shut to her.

"Answers, your Majesty. Nothing more, nothing less." She turned to face him, her face set.

He opened his eyes, surprised. "What makes you think you can demand such a thing from me? I am Jareth, the Goblin King! I answer to no Human!"

She sighed, trying to reign in her growing temper. "It was not a demand, Sire, but a request. If you are disinclined to acquiesce to my request, I believe I have a Labyrinth to defeat." She smirked when she was quite sure he couldn't see her face, as she had turned away, her chin in her hand as she contemplated in which direction she should travel.

"Hold, Mortal." With a wave of his hand, a giant clock appeared, not at all unlike the one he had summoned so long ago. Another gesture found the hands frozen on the face; even the breeze had stilled. "I will, of course, be asking the first question." His characteristic smirk graced his features, and Sarah wondered how long it had been since he had looked thus.

"Of course, your Majesty." Normally, Sarah wouldn't have given in so easily, but she was too surprised that he had actually agreed. She blinked, and in that one second, her entire world was changed, the stone parapet beneath her feet becoming lush grass, her view much improved over the aerial view of the bog she had had moments ago.

Jareth cleared his throat in a terribly clichéd attempt to catch her attention from his seat on a beautifully carved stone throne; it worked. She sat on the grass facing him, aware that her current position made her appear far too subservient to him, but loathe to move now that she could actually ask him the questions that had so long plagued her mind. "Why did you come back here, Precious?" His voice was smooth, regal, just as she remembered it from their confrontation in the impossibly configured Escher room.

"I missed it, Sire. Every day at home was just a reminder that it wasn't full of the magic for which I long. Every time I met a faerie, or even one of your goblins, I was struck with the most unusual feeling of homesickness. I could barely stand it any longer." Sarah bit her lip, sure she had exposed far too much of herself, and this was only the first question!

Jareth shifted, and it seemed he would stand, walk away from her, or even laugh, but he did nothing of the sort. "I believe, then, that it is your turn to ask me a question."

"Did you mean what you said, on my last visit here, Goblin King, before I got Toby back?" Her eyes were determinedly staring at her hands, which were infinitely more interesting, she thought, than the look of utter contempt she could practically feel from him.

The silence between them was deafening. Sarah thought that he truly had left, before she finally had the courage to look up. "What do you think, Sarah?" The way his name fell from his lips was positively sinful in her mind. She barely repressed the thrill that threatened to course through her.

"Please, Jareth, don't evade my question." Her eyes sought his mismatched ones, but the indefinable emotion locked within them made her look away.

A small chuckle rumbled in his throat, "I do believe, precious, that that is the first time I've ever heard to say my name. Back to the matter at hand, I am not evading your question. I need to know how best to answer your question, so if you would please answer mine first." His voice was tight and polite, but there was an undertone that made Sarah burn.

"I think you were trying to distract me from my goal, just like the ballroom, the Fireys, even Hoggle. I'm not as blind to your control of this Labyrinth as you might believe. I know that nothing happens here without your explicit approval, and that which does is subject to severe punishment. You once said I could be cruel, but I do believe that is a prime example of the pot calling the kettle black." Sarah's face was flushed with passion, and as soon as her mind processed what her mouth had just spewed, her gut tightened in fear. She subtly shifted her position so that she could run, should Jareth's anger prove too much.

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Like I said earlier, if you want more chapters, you have to keep my spirits up. To keep my spirits up, you need to review. To review, you simply need to click the link below and offer a few words of advice, encouragement, or even pure, unadulterated hatred. I just want to know the story is being read!


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